And Along Came Love
by Punk With The Hat
Summary: He had never known it before. But at that moment he realized... he loved her. Jay/Cinder Oneshot. NO FLAMES!


A gray tomcat padded through the forest, holding a bundle of mallow in his jaws. There was an abundance of it down by the lake, and he was already carrying as much as he could. His mentor would be proud of him. He only wished that she would stop fussing about his blindness.

"Jayfeather!" at the sound of his name, Jayfeather stopped and turned around. His sightless blue eyes were fixed in the direction he had heard it.

Gently placing his herbs on the ground before him, he sniffed the air. Although blind, the scents were so familiar that he could picture the cats as vividly as if he could see them himself. Two she-cats. One was raven-black with green eyes, and the other was a light gray with sapphire eyes.

"Hollyleaf! Cinderheart!" he exclaimed. The strong scent of mallow had blocked out mostly everything else.

"Hello," replied Cinderheart. The mice she was carrying in her mouth muffled her voice. "Gathering herbs, I see."

Jayfeather nodded. "We've had a shortage of mallow for a while, but we couldn't travel to the lake during the rainstorms."

"We were out hunting," said Hollyleaf. "I caught a few squirrels, but Cinderheart did even better. She caught two rabbits, eight mice, and a vole!"

"That's great Cinderheart!" Although it had been at least a season since Cinderheart was made a warrior, everyone in the Clan was worried that her injured leg would give her trouble. But now she was one of the best warriors in ThunderClan.

Cinderheart set her mice down in front of Jayfeather's mallow. "Thanks," she replied, "but I owe it all to you. If you hadn't made me go through those swimming exercises, I never would've become as good of a warrior as I am right now.

She was staring at him, Jayfeather could tell. He felt her deep blue gaze meet his light blue, sightless one.

And then he felt it. The emotion exploded forth like a hunter lunging at its prey. So many moons had gone by, so much time since he had first experienced this feeling. Back then he had somehow been thrust into the past, walking with the ancient cats that used to live by the lake. And back then he had only experienced this emotion with one cat: Half Moon.

_Cinderheart_ loves _me? _Jayfeather wondered. But no. The only emotions Cinderheart felt at this moment were gratitude and determination. Jayfeather was puzzled. Where had that sudden burst come from? But then all of the sudden it hit him.

Had he not been so lost in thought, he would've never discovered it, never would've believed. The shock was so tremendous that he might have dropped his mallow if it weren't already on the ground.

She _doesn't love me_, he realized. _It's the other way around!_ I _love_ _her!_

"Jayfeather?" Hollyleaf's voice jolted him back to the present. She sounded concerned. "Are you alright?"

Jayfeather nodded. "I'm fine," he replied. "But I'd better get back to camp."

"Okay," said Cinderheart, "we'll just see what else we can catch before dusk. Bye!" And with that, she gathered her fresh-kill and both she-cats went on their way.

_I've got to get home_, Jayfeather thought. _Maybe helping Leafpool sort out the herbs will help clear my head up a little._

When Jayfeather got back to the ThunderClan camp, he headed right for the medicine cat den to show Leafpool the mallow he had collected. His mentor gave a satisfied nod and went to put it away.

"Good job, Jayfeather," she praised him. "The Clan will need plenty of herbs for upcoming battles."

"Has StarClan sent a sign?" Jayfeather asked.

"No," she replied without glancing at him, "But it never hurts to be careful."

He knew he had to ask her. If anyone would listen, it would be Leafpool.

"I know it's kind of strange to ask," he began, "But do you know what it feels like to… to be in love?"

Leafpool stopped and looked up at him. Sparks of anger flew from her, and for a second Jayfeather thought she would scold him. But then her fury ebbed away and was replaced by yearning and sadness.

"I-I'm not sure exactly," she responded. "Medicine cats aren't supposed to fall in love anyway. But I suppose I have a rough idea of what it feels like, after watching my Clanmates."

"Do tell, please."

Leafpool took in a sharp breath before she spoke again. "It's a wonderful emotion. Loving someone makes you feel refreshed, as if you are filled with a powerful energy. It brings out the good side in the most ignorant and arrogant cats. It makes you want to follow the object of your affection wherever he or she may go."

She paused, and then continued. "But nothing is ever perfect in life. If your love is taken away from you somehow, it feels as if a part of yourself is gone with it. And some love is so powerful that it rivals Clan loyalty."

"Oh." Jayfeather could barley register what his mentor had just told him. It might as well have been true. Everything that Leafpool had said happened whenever Cinderheart was with him. And how could he have never noticed it?

The two times she had been injured, he almost never left her side. He was the only cat that was so determined to find a way for Cinderheart's leg to heal. And now he even felt himself becoming a better cat. All for the sake of _her_.

When he had felt that rushing torrent of emotion, it threatened to sweep him away. But he never fought it. As a matter of fact, he _welcomed_ it. Cinderheart made Jayfeather feel just as good as Half Moon had.

_No, that's wrong_. Cinderheart didn't make him feel just as good.

She made him feel even better.

The sun was setting by the time Jayfeather padded out of the medicine den. He started to walk toward the fresh-kill pile… and his heart took off as fast as a hare. He had scented her. He had scented Cinderheart.

_Stay calm_, he ordered himself. _You're a medicine cat. You can't fall in love anyway, so why bother?_

Suddenly Cinderheart looked up and stared right at him. "Hi Jayfeather!" she said. "Come on over. There's plenty to share." She sounded so happy, and the bright, cheery aura she had wrapped around herself backed that up.

Jayfeather found himself racing across the clearing to be by her side. When he reached his destination the two of them shared a thrush. With Cinderheart there with him, the deliciousness was magnified ten times over. But what he enjoyed the most was just being with her. He loved her scent, he loved her attitude, he loved her kindness.

And he without a doubt loved _her_.


End file.
